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Interview with Mortem zine

Answered by Deacon D.

1. Infernal hails to the mighty HETROERTZEN! With your last album "Exaltation of Wisdom" released in 2010 and a number of recent stage performances across Europe you made quite a salient burst into the continental black metal scene. Do you feel nowadays more comfortable and acknowledged within the scene? How crucial do you consider, with this regard, your move from the Chilean underground to the Swedish milieu?

I don't know really, we have always kept ourselves at the edge of the "Metal scene" and never tried to be part of this circuit, nor its culture. What we are doing now is so simply; to express our Art through sounds, with focus upon messages and image without falling into the ridiculous like much of the new Black metal bands. We try to create a link between us and the ones who perceive this energy flow.

To have moved here was just a matter of personal taste.

 

 

 

2. Your twelve-year old debut "Flying Across the Misty Gardens" is propelled by rough, repetitive, primitive-styled black metal, so to say. Listening to "Exaltation of Wisdom", one can really feel the difference. Your today's music is much more elaborated, detailed and varied in composition, with a very dense ritualistic veil and occult taint. Could you disclose your musical and spiritual journey from the barbarian roughness to the esoteric? What were the main milestones you encountered during the journey?

Any band start from nothing and so did we…

Our first demo or should I say, our first three demos were a long  journey of experimental ideas and sounds. We found ourselves in a vast world full of possibilities and different ways. I have said before; perfection is not possible to achieve in one single life but if we at least try, we become better and that can be seen in our works. This will happen each time we come with new stuff.

 

 

 

3. What is the current core line-up of HETROERTZEN? Is it just Kaeffel and Åskväder or are the others also the full members of the band with regard to your live shows, compositional process and spiritual aura of the band?

We should start with the Spiritual Aura and this is the most important side of our band. All the members are extremely focused upon the dark side of this Art and comprehend the occult meaning of the symbolism we use.

When it comes to composition, it is mostly Å. and S. who prepare part of the music and I take care of most of the texts and music as well.

 

 

 

4. In the first days of February you released via Lamech Records/Barghest your split with Dødsengel titled "Capax Infiniti". Could you say something about the origins of the split's two songs? To what extent do they follow on and develop the musical and spiritual imprints of your last full-length?

'Ardetha' is for us a way of living. It symbolizes our predator side in this culture. Consume or be consumed. It also represents Alchemic separation.

'Blood for the Egregore' is our way to perceive the energy flow from others into our oracles.

For us is a way to see things like they are, without clothes and make up. The real world, just not so "material" or superficial as the other see it.

 

 

 

5. To follow and add to previous questions. What qualities and features do you require from those who are supposed to collaborate with your circle? A devoted fan should be able to tell what for example binds you with Dødsengel but could you elaborate upon the decision to share the LP with them? How do both bands complement each other when striving to “grasp the infinity”?

It started a couple of years ago. We have a good contact and shared a lot of different views and beliefs. We liked their music, we liked their texts, their concept and way of thinking. I believe this should be enough to work together with someone when it comes to do music.    I also remember we talked a lot about the concept for this split based upon Occult Vampirism and ritual sexual magic. They gave me their ideas for the cover album and I drew it together with some extra personal ideas. They were satisfied, we were satisfied.

 

 

 

6. How much of the light does black metal allow to permeate through it? How much potential dwells within the music of darkness to handle the tenets of Luciferian doctrine, those of "the Bringer of Light"? What does the opposition darkness vs. light mean to you in its spiritual as well as metaphysical/cosmological symbolism?

Quite much Light I could say, at least in our case. We accept the fact that we shall develop occult and mystic knowledge, discovering both ways of darkness and light. Their mysterious studies and practices. For us is very important to write down this into our Sacred Art.

Both Darkness and Light should be in perfect balance to accomplish true spiritual development. One cannot be just dark without searching for light or vice versa. This is the meaning of stagnation and this is why most religions keep their people sleeping.

 

 

 

7. Your Luciferian creed builds, in a nutshell, on gnosticism, kabbalistic onthology, Christian mythology and ethical relativism. Do you consider yourself religious person or rather man with critical philosophical thinking and attitudes towards life and the world around?

We consider ourselves free! I am a free man. Not following the things that are running in circle but the things that are moving forward to real enlightenment. We all can start when we want to and stop when we wish so. We fight against the things we don't like and defend the things we want to keep. You and me bow to nobody. There is a consciousness, a God if you want to call it so; and it is inside us all. To follow it is to gain the divine sparkle and reach the ultimate goal in our physical and spiritual life.

Perhaps you have an idea about us now.

 

 

 

8. The core of the gnostic understanding of the world is the duality of the God-Creator/Yahweh and the God-Redeemer/mystical Divinity. The duality of evil and good, the fallen and the godlike. How important is it to command Cliphotic world and its demonic structures in order to challenge the Demiurg and gather the enlightened knowledge of the Divine? Is black magic the right way to reach this goal? Is it a part of your stage performance as well as life practice? 

The black is a way of seeing things we cannot comprehend. Things that come from the other side. This world is structured to be showed as we can perceive it, at least the material side of this world, the earthly things you know. Our innocent side does not want us to see stuff that are incomprehensible, but our gain of knowledge will help us to see them in another way or at least accept them. The occult, the forbidden, the dark, are just concepts given by the demiurge to try keeping us in our innocent state. Never knowing far beyond the created.

The sparkle helps us to gain this natural knowledge and develop our mystic body for the studies of darkness and light. Spiritual intervention can be seen as horrible and frightening experiences and I believe that if we go forward into spiritual development, we can create a link with the other side to structure a gateway for better comprehension of this Mysteria.

 

 

 

9. What is your attitude towards religious faith in general? Do you think it is an important part of an individual human life?

What I think is important is to follow a mystic path besides our daily life. I can understand most of the people's need when it comes to Feelings and sensations. At the end all that matters is to satisfy our soul and be "in peace" with ourselves.

 

 

 

10. Playing occult black metal seems to be a huge trend nowadays. There is a bunch of bands using esoteric imagery in their lyrics and ritualistic proprieties on the stage in the scene today. I mean, messing with the dark forces and the outerworld without proper erudition and just to be "in" could be quite dangerous, in whatever sense. What is your view?

My view is not so different than yours on this point. Unfortunately we cannot just write to them and say; "hey stop doing this!". Most of them don't really know what they are doing, just because it seems cool and it will sell more because of their "esoteric approaching".

The best is to ignore those bands and stop buying their stuff IF they are doing this without following occult teachings or performing magic practices in their lives. I don't necessarily mean the using of robes and skulls and lots of candles to impress people. People are smart and will see the difference between those who will show up and those who are something else. It is also a question of energy.

Those who follow a secret path do not show too much of their stuff when playing live because they already know the importance of this and respect their values.

Bands like Rolling stones, Led zeppelin, King Crimson between others won't ever show or share out their occult knowledge with outsiders and so it must be.

 

 

 

11. I venerate HETROERTZEN not only for your credible spiritual stance but also for your music being really heavy metallic, paying homage to the genre's tradition and "keep it true" aesthetics. You don't bother with instrumental experiments and far-fetched novelties like many "musical inventors" in the contemporary occult BM scene. How important is it for you to stick to the roots?

It has been like that since a long time, when we decided to bring our music, lyrics, and Art to the sides of the Light while practicing Darkness. (Exaltation…) It works fine as long as we keep distance from the Black Metal scene and most of their bands and people.

We don't try to progress in our music, nor experiment new things, but become better in our Art and it shall be the same way in the future.

 

 

 

12. By the way, could you trace the moment when you realized that black metal is the right medium for conveying your inner ideas? What makes this genre special for you? Of course the classics always offered something more than just music but would you say that it hasn’t been until recently that black metal shifted from being just “rebellious extreme music” to something much more profound and deep?

This music for all of us means more than just raw rebellion, but a way of Expressionism and Dark Art. Its cold atmosphere suits perfect to our feelings and thinking.

Of course we tried to capture most of the dark and cataleptic environment into this music as it fit quite good to the texts that are the most important part of the whole concept. This is the true meaning of doing music I think.

 

 

 

13. Would you spare a few words about your side project Die Kunst der Finsternis? What is its raison d'etre and how does it complement the concept of HETROERTZEN? Are there some sticking points between the two?

My way of writing can be perceived as almost equal in concepts on both of them. Unfortunately I had to stop with my solo project because I wanted to focus upon Hetroertzen which means more to me right now.

 

 

 

14. Last year you staged two breathtaking shows in the Czech Republic. Our country is famous not only for the beer but also for its tradition of esoteric thinking. There were two waves of the movement with a strong Europewide influence in our history. The first one in the sixteenth century during the reign of Rudolph II Hapsburg, the second one in between the two world wars with the upsurge of Hermetism drawing on the French kabbalistic studies and bringing forth such figures as Jan Kefer and František Kabelák. Are you familiar with these names and their legacy? And how did you like our country, in general?

We have really good memories from Czech Republic both times we were there.

I have read about both Jan Kefer and František Kabelák after you mentioned them, I will not lie to you. Just Jan Kefer sounded familiar to me and I knew a little about Rudolph II. All I have to say is that I really respect their way of thinking and can agree with most of the scholars of the Kabbala and Hermetism in general.

Unfortunately, there was not so much time to see the whole city, but I really enjoyed being there.

 

 

 

15. As for the live performances, do you view HETROERTZEN as a typical club-stage band or would you accept an offer to play the open-air festivals, too?

We are not too much into playing live: We accepted the offers to play tour for example to see cities, travel a little bit and specially gain experience playing live in small and big stages. For now we will focus upon our new stuff, it will take a time before it is released, so we will not play live for the rest of the year. Concerning new offers, we will think about that and probably accept the best ones. Time will tell.

 

 

 

16. Is there any chance that your first three albums will be re-released some time soon, as they are almost impossible to get? Or would you prefer to leave them buried in time?

No. I don't really want to root upon old stuff, specially when I think it's not relevant. We learned about our mistakes and would gladly like to work for our future and enjoy our present.

 

 

 

17. What are your plans with HETROERTZEN for the foreseeable future? There is a “Tba” release (Lamech 2214) mentioned in the Lamech Records newsletter…

We are now recording material for our upcoming new album. We will announce this Opus when it's time too see the Light upon us.

 

 

18. Thank you very much for the interview! Good luck and follow the path you do with the persistent vigour and devotion! The last words are yours...

Thank you! Keep the flame burning and the sparkle shining till the end!

 

 

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